Fading Black
by ShadowBloodNinja
Summary: Ib and Garry return to a new painted world after they find their roses missing. There they meet a strange girl named Nikushimi. As they travel through the Fantasy Plain they meet new creatures, old enemies, and Nikushimi's dark secret comes out. Will her secret kill them? Or will a sacrifice have to be made? "Bring me their lives and I will end your curse and set you free."
1. The Missing Roses and the Strange Girl

_**Fading Black**_

_Chapter 1_

_**Roses**_

The figure stood in the shadow as she spoke to the human girl.

"To break the curse placed on you, you must bring me the souls of the two that escaped here. Then, I will let you leave." The girl chuckled dryly.

"At first, I thought escaping my world to a paradise was great, but now? This place is hell, and if this is hell you're the demon." The figure shook her head.

"You're spiteful, aren't you?" asked the figure. The girl ignored it.

"I will get you the souls though, but that makes me evil doesn't it?" asked the girl as she started to turn.

"Two lives, for my life?" The girl began walking out; she hardly made a sound as she walked.

"Heh, but I'm a human being, humans are selfish creatures. I want to live, so I'll get you what you need. But when I get out, will I be able to bare it? To know that I killed two innocents because I wanted to live? Such a sin." The girl reached the door. She turned and looked at the figure.

"How much time do I have?" she called. The figure gave her a dark grin.

"Less than a week, but this world is yours. It bends to your command, you're the ruler. Use you power to get what you need." After that, all that was heard was the door slamming and the evil laugh of the figure.

"Bring me their lives and I will end your curse and set you free."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

After they had escaped the Fabricated World, somehow fate drew them back together. Garry lived on his own, his parents let him live on his own because he chose to. He was seventeen, they found him responsible enough. They even paid for his apartment. But he had to do everything else on his own, so he had a part time job. As a baby sitter surprisingly.

Boy was he surprised when he found himself the babysitter of a familiar nine year old girl he hadn't seen since the museum. Then a year passed and Garry because like family to them, of course he was already an older brother figure to Ib.

"Garry!" called Ib as she heard the door close. Her parents were leaving on a cruise, they had decided to leave Ib with Garry for the entire time they'd be gone. Neither minded, Garry liked watching Ib, and Ib liked talking to Garry. However, Ib soon found a problem that only Garry would know what to do with.

"Yes Ib?" Garry climbed the stairs to Ib's room to find her sitting on her bed, staring at an empty vase.

"The rose…. it's gone." she muttered before looking at him.

"What about your rose?" Garry thought back to before he had left his apartment. He shook his head.

"I don't remember seeing it." he admitted. Ib blinked.

"Who would have stolen our roses?" she asked, however soon her question was answered. A cold gust of wind swept through the room and a piece of paper floated off Ib's desk and onto the table. A noise could be heard, as if someone were writing. Garry and Ib shared a look and when the writing stopped, they stood and cautiously approached the desk. Garry looked at the paper first.

"It's a note?" he questioned, looking closer to find it was indeed a note.

'Roses control life, don't they? They're strong, like a human, but also fragile. They're life. You need your roses back. So come and get them. They're waiting. The Fantasy Plain isn't so bad, just a tad lonely. But the monsters love roses. So come quickly.'

"Fantasy Plain?" asked Ib, but more etching sounded as they watched the dark purple-black ink seemingly come from nowhere.

'Roses are red,

Roses are blue,

The Fantasy Plain is lovely,

But it is quite lonely,

So come find me.'

"Creepy." commented Garry with Ib nodding in agreement.

"So…" trailed Ib, "We go back to the museum?" Garry sighed.

"Seems like it." he replied as he grabbed the paper.

"Do we need anything? We should be prepared this time." pointed out Ib. Gary nodded.

"You're right, a lighter would be good again, maybe a flashlight although I'd prefer the lighter, maybe something to eat or drink if we get stuck again." Garry thought aloud.

"My dad keeps a lighter in the kitchen drawer, and I have snacks and small water bottles for lunch at school, we can bring some of that." suggested Ib. Garry nodded.

This time they would be prepared.

When they arrived at the gallery Garry looked the same as he did the first time. However this time Ib had a pair of leggings under her skirt, and she had a small backpack that contained four water bottles, an extra lighter, and a few boxes of crackers.

They walked around the gallery searching for the painting labeled Fantasy Plain, and they were surprised to find a whole new wing of the museum. They entered it and soon found a large hallway much like the original hallway that held the Fabricated World painting.

"This is it." realized Garry as he read the plaque that read 'Fantasy Plain'. They observed the painting. Really, the painting looked nice. The subject seemed to be a lush field that seemed to stretch far, then it had dark, lush forests looming on all sides. Far in the background a gloomy dark castle could be seen against the darkening purple sky. The painting was also very large, much like the Fabricated World painting.

"It looks nice." commented Ib. Garry nodded as he looked around to find them alone in the hallway. Garry slowly put his hand down on the painting, only to find it solid.

"How do we get in?" questioned Ib.

"I don't know, how did we get into the Fabricated World? Maybe that's how we can get into the Fantasy Plain." replied Garry.

"I think I can help." Garry and Ib whipped around but all they saw was something black before they felt themselves get pushed backwards. They fell through what felt like a wall of jelly before they began to fall. As they fell darkness overcame their vision as they fell into unconsciousness.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

They both awoke around the same time. Gary groaned as he sat up and Ib quietly sat up next to him.

"Where are we?" questioned Ib quietly as Garry looked around. They were in a small area that was surrounded by large dark trees. The sunlight, if there was any, was blocked by the trees. However there were strange plants here and there that glowed slightly, giving off light.

"Fantasy Plain is what the paintings called." Garry and Ib whipped around to find a tall teenage girl sitting behind them as she threw an object between her hands, catching it without even paying attention.

"Who are you?"asked Garry, pulling Ib behind him. The girl shrugged.

"I'm Nikushimi; I'm guessing your next question is if I'm from the gallery too? To answer that, I am, I was pulled into this strange world. I'm guessing you were pulled in too?" replied Nikushimi as she stopped throwing the object. She looked down at it and held it up with a frown.

"It's got half battery left, makes me sad." she sighed as she put the iPod into her black leather jacket pocket.

"Do you have a rose?" questioned Garry. Nikushimi raised an eyebrow but pulled out a dark purple rose. However this rose's petals were black on the tips and the purple seemed to be fading.

"Why isn't it just a solid purple?" asked Garry. Nikushimi shrugged.

"What makes you think I would know?" she replied as she stood up. Garry and Ib soon followed.

"So I'm guessing your roses are red and blue?" guessed Nikushimi.

"How did you know?" asked Ib. Nikushimi grinned at her.

"My rose is purple, my eyes are purple. Gary's eyes are blue; his rose is probably the same. Your eyes are red, so your rose must be red." explained Nikushimi as she walked over to Garry and Ib.

"So you guys are probably going to want to head to the castle." decided Nikushimi.

"Why?" inquired Garry, Nikushimi grinned.

"I read some note that said treasure was in the castle, I think it may be the way out, and who knows what else is in there? Maybe something important on how to get out if the castle isn't the way out." replied Nikushimi as she pointed through a small hole in the trees. Garry and Ib squinted to see and saw a castle far off in the distance.

"It looks so far away…" trailed Ib.

"How long do you think it will take to reach the castle?" questioned Garry.

"I think if we start now, we can get there later tomorrow if we rest at night." answered Nikushimi.

"We? What makes you think you're traveling with us!" exclaimed Garry. Nikushimi gave another grin as she produced something from her pocket and began to throw it back and forth between her hands.

"One," Nikushimi started throwing the ball up and down in one hand as she held up one finger with her other free hand, "I know how to get there," Another finger went up, "Two, I can help you with some of the monsters that roam the plains and forest," a third finger went up, "Its best to travel in groups when in situations like this," a final fourth finger went up, "And finally, would you really leave a girl all alone in this situation?"

"Take one look of yourself." deadpanned Garry, Ib nodding behind him. Nikushimi laughed.

Nikushimi didn't exactly look welcoming. Her pale face made her purple eyes look eerie, and her dark hair that had silver and purple streaks didn't help because even though it was in a ponytail, a few straight bangs still framed her face making her look paler in contrast.

Her clothes weren't friendly looking either. She had knee high black biker boots that Garry was willing to bet had metal tips. She had black shredded jeans and a black long sleeved mesh shirt. Over the mesh shirt she had a black tank top and she had an open black leather jacket on over that. Around her neck she had a silver locket, a black choker with a purple gem, and a spiked collar. Her black fingerless gloves had silver circles on the knuckles that were most likely painful when punched by, and that was probably the reason they were there. A black studded belt with a skull buckle was around her waist and a chain hung from one of her pockets.

Then, Nikushimi's piercings. Nikushimi had five piercings on her eyebrows, then on her nose she had three. On her lips she had three and when she spoke Garry and Ib saw she had one on her tongue. Under her lips she had a labret with snake bites surrounding it. Garry also saw she had many bars, hoops, and studs in her ears but he lost count when she moved, which she did often. Other than her piercings, Garry saw a black rose tattoo on the side of her neck. Her sleeves were rolled up slightly and a black and purple dragon could be seen going up her left arm. He was willing to bet she had at least one other tattoo somewhere.

"Point taken, but still, would you really leave someone alone in this place? Even if I look like I can handle myself, I'd be alone. That isn't something that we should do in this situation." Nikushimi replied before she grinned at them as she pulled the straps from her backpack tighter, "Besides, do you really want my possible death on your conscience for the rest of your life?" Garry sighed.

Nikushimi was cunning. She was able to twist words around and come up with answers faster than he could keep up with. He was fast with things like this too, but Nikushimi was something else.

"You do have a point." muttered Garry. He felt something tug at his arm and he looked down.

"She should come." decided Ib quietly.

"Fine, you can come with us." snapped Garry. Nikushimi grinned at them again.

"Awesome, now, ready to get moving?" she asked to which Ib and Garry nodded. Nikushimi walked over to where the hole they saw the castle through was. She pulled the plants and you could hear paper moving.

"The plants are paper?" asked Ib.

"Some of them, then some others are like plaster." answered Nikushimi as she pulled the plants out of the way to reveal a path.

"Follow the yellow brick road." announced Nikushimi.

"Well…" trailed Garry as he looked down at the path, "It is yellow." Nikushimi laughed and started ahead on the yellow painted trail, only stopping when she noticed Garry and Ib were walking slower and more cautiously.

"Oh, c'mon, you can't be that scared. Sure it's dangerous, but I think that when we're together we'll be fine, until we reach the bigger monsters that is." Nikushimi turned around again and gestured for them to hurry. Garry looked down at Ib.

"She's….weird." Ib finally decided as they continued along with Nikushimi still leading through the small path.

"She is quite…. eccentric." agreed Garry. Then, they reached the end of the path.

"Whoa." Garry was speechless. The world was beautiful. The sky was a deep dark purple, there was no sun, however the area was lit up, and not by the glowing plants. There was a slight breeze that ruffled the long grass and in the distance, the sky got darker over the dark gray castle that loomed off far in the distance past the dark green and eerie looking forest.

"It's pretty. But probably dangerous." warned Nikushimi. It was at that moment, they heard a rustling from behind them. They turned and began to back away from the forest they came out of. Then, the creature revealed itself. All Garry could look at was the deep, blue eyes the creature held.

* * *

**AN-**

**I forgot this authors note originally...**

**SO, just tell me what you think, and if you like the story cover, and stuff... so yeah.**

**Bye :D**


	2. Pulling Your Strings

_**Fading Black**_

_Chapter 2_

_Serpent _

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Talking"

'Thinking'

**Inner Voice**

_Flashback/dream_

_**Poem/Song/Quote**_

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"_Mama, do you love me?"_

_**Why would she love you? You're ugly, you're not smart, you're not talented. Why would she love you?**_

"_Not now, I'm busy. Go play or something."_

"_But mama…"_

"_Go away, I'm doing work."_

'…_.Does mama love me?'_

"A serpent." muttered Nikushimi as she looked at the large green creature. It had a long body that curved around a few trees. A long forked tongue stuck out from its mouth as its piercing blue gaze settled on the three.

"It's a big snake." confirmed Ib.

"Ok, with my knowledge on snakes, this one seems to be blind because most blue eyed snakes are blind, however snakes have amazing hearing. We need to get away and hide! So basically, RUN!" shouted Nikushimi. She didn't hesitate and running across the plain. Ib and Garry followed soon after, Garry holding tightly onto Ib.

The plains weren't very flat. They had numerous hills that made the plain look smaller than they actually were. Really, the hills were large.

"Nikushimi, this thing is fast!" called Garry as he looked over his shoulder to find the snake slowly catching up to them.

"Got it." Nikushimi stopped and turned around. She reached into her boot and pulled something out. She ran towards the snake, Garry and Ib slowed.

"Keep going, I'll catch up in a sec!" Nikushimi jumped up and did a flip as she landed on the snakes head. That was the last thing Garry and Ib saw however as they kept running through the plain. They didn't stop until a large hill blocked their view of the snake and Nikushimi.

"Will Nikushimi be all right Garry?" questioned Ib, taking deep breaths to regain the breath the running has made her lose.

"I don't know, but she seemed to have some plan." replied Garry. Ib nodded in response.

"Why does Nikushimi look like that? She looks so… scary." Ib asked.

"Its Nikushimi's style, like how I wear my coat all ripped like this." answered Garry as he tugged on his ripped coat.

"Oh, but she looks scary in it." protested Ib.

"Its not always about looks Ib, sometimes even the scariest of people can be the friendliest. It's the inside that counts." Garry explained.

"Awww, how touching, I take down a snake while you bond." came the snarky voice of Nikushimi as she walked down the hill. The fishnet covering her left arm was torn up and teeth marks could be seen in her arm.

"You were bitten by it? How many petals do you have left? Are snakes poisonous?" interrogated Garry.

"Six petals from my original seven, yes I was bitten, and I don't think the snake was poisonous since it's probably a painting." replied Nikushimi as she walked over to her traveling companions.

"I just now realized I have no idea what your names are, so who the hell are you?" asked Nikushimi.

"I'm Ib." murmured Ib quietly.

"And I'm Garry." answered Garry. Nikushimi nodded.

"Those are good names, I like yours Ib, its uncommon." Nikushimi nodded to herself.

"So is yours, I've never met another Nikushimi." pointed out Garry.

"Yeah, well mines a Japanese word. It shouldn't count as a good name." grumbled Nikushimi as she headed forward.

"Let's get moving, I wanna reach the cover of the forest before night so we can hide in the bushes." ordered Nikushimi. Garry and Ib followed quietly.

As they traversed the plains they saw creatures. Few attacked them, and when they did Nikushimi would kick the smaller creature and they would run before more could show up.

Some of them reminded Ib of prairie dogs. They were a bit bigger though, had sharper teeth, were more aggressive, and came in rainbow colors. But what would be expected of the Fantasy Plain? It was supposed to be Fantasy apparently.

"I'm not so sure what we'll run into past here, I've only traveled up to here and I would always return because I grew wary of the area. Luck can only get you so far." commented Nikushimi as they stopped on a large kill. Beyond it, before you got to the woods, was a wasteland.

It had dark leafless trees and no grass except for a few dark brown withering patches here and there.

"Friendly looking." commented Garry.

"Indeed." sighed Nikushimi.

"We have to move on though, we should just hope that we don't face against another snake out here. I doubt we'll be lucky and get another blind snake." Nikushimi began walking and Garry followed, holding Ib's hand.

"With the snake, what exactly did you do?" asked Ib curiously. Nikushimi grinned.

"I'm afraid I threw caution to the wind and fought it." Garry blinked.

"Fought it?" he repeated.

"I took out my switchblade and stabbed it a few times." replied Nikushimi.

"That's not safe, you're the one who was preaching about how we need to stay safe out here too." deadpanned Garry.

"Well, I can't say that I don't throw caution to the wind because I do it often. When I preached about safety, I was talking about you and Ib." laughed Nikushimi.

"What does your name mean?" asked Ib suddenly. Nikushimi looked up at the darkening purple sky.

"Hatred, Nikushimi is Japanese for hatred." answered Nikushimi.

"Oh…" trailed Ib.

"My last name is Ketsueki, in Japanese I think it translates to blood." added Nikushimi.

"My name always reminds everyone about that guy from Pokémon." commented Garry. Nikushimi smirked.

"Heh, I always used to watch Pokémon when I was a kid." Nikushimi smiled and looked forward.

"I always dreamed that I would escape reality and go into the Pokémon world where ten year olds could run around with magical creatures and defeat them with the most important thing being friendship." Nikushimi laughed bitterly.

"I guess my dreams somewhat came true, we're running around another world, with creatures running around. Difference is these creatures are trying to kill us and friendship won't do shit in this situation." Ib frowned at Nikushimi's words.

"Friendship can do a lot Nikushimi, the bond you get with a friend enables you to trust them. I trust my life with Garry, and he trusts his with mine. Are you willing to be our friend and trust us?" asked Ib. Nikushimi gaped at Ib. She closed her eyes and her lips made a firm line.

"Wise words from someone so young…" trailed Nikushimi.

"Ib is much smarter than your average kid." added Garry, ruffling Ib's hair as they walked. Ib gave Garry a pout but fixed her hair as they continued.

"So you guys are missing your roses huh?" asked Nikushimi.

"How did you know?" asked Garry warily.

"Always so wary of me, I suppose that will get you to life longer here though." mused Nikushimi.

"How do you know?" asked Gary again.

"I guessed, I inferred. I'm sure by now you understand that I'm usually a good guesser, I'm an observer. I take in details, I noticed that when I pulled out my rose you didn't take out yours. You also got wary about it, and you seemed very interested when I mentioned the castles treasure. I suppose you believe the castles treasure is your roses?" explained Nikushimi Garry nodded.

"It's a fools dream to think that our roses are there, but it's all we have to go on at the time." replied Garry. Nikushimi nodded and pulled her rose from her pocket and looked at the petal. She watched as the black tips suddenly moved out, engulfing more of the purple.

'It's still moving, we need to hurry.' Nikushimi scowled at her rose and put it back in her pocket.

"It's getting dark, we have to hurry to the trees so we can set up camp." ordered Nikushimi.

"You're right." agreed Garry. As they sped along the plain they could hear rumbling. Nikushimi wasn't happy with the rumbling, something was coming. However she didn't want to worry her companions, so she said nothing.

"It's funny how there's a moon but no sun." pointed out Ib as she looked to see the moon was rising. Nikushimi found herself lost in the beauty of the clouds that seemed to glow dark blue and dark purple around the rising and glowing moon.

"It seems so….magical." Nikushimi finally decided.

"Yeah…." trailed Ib.

Suddenly however they all turned when they heard a noise.

"Ah, fuck me." said Nikushimi as she laid her eyes upon the creatures. There were seven of them, they looked to be somewhat wooden and they had glowing silver orbs inside the darkness of their boxy skulls. Glowing strings held them up like puppets. Nikushimi's eyes traced the strings back to one creature standing in the shadows. Blue eyes stared back at them and when the shadow moved, the puppets did.

Oh dear.

_**Master of Puppets I'm pulling your strings  
Twisting your mind and smashing your dreams  
Blinded by me, you can't see a thing  
Taste me you will see  
More is all you need  
Dedicated to how I'm killing you  
Come crawling faster  
Obey your Master  
Your life burns faster  
Obey your Master**_

_**-Master of Puppets Metallica-**_

**AN-**

**So, chapter 2, how was it? Hate it? Love it?**

**This story isn't going to be too long; I'm estimating maybe around five to ten chapters, somewhere in between. This was just me wanting to do a short little Ib fic. **

**So, review please? Eh, if you really don't want to then don't. I can't force you to. I'm just asking.**

**Anyway, so what do you think of Nikushimi? How about how she reacts to Garry and Ib? Any predictions? **

**Sayonara :D**


	3. The Thoughts I Can't Escape

_**Fading Black**_

_Chapter 3_

_The Thoughts I Can't Escape_

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Talking"

'Thinking'

**Inner Voice**

_Flashback/dream_

_**Poem/Song/Quote**_

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

* * *

"_You're ugly, worthless you freak!"_

"_Look at her face, what is wrong with her?"_

'_Why does no one like me?'_

_**Because you aren't worth liking.**_

"_What is it like to be cared for?"_

"_What is it like to care?"_

* * *

Immediately when faced with this new creature, Garry pulled Ib behind him. Nikushimi pulled out her knife rather than something that wouldn't help her kill.

"Are you insane? That won't do anything!" hissed Garry, slowly backing away. Nikushimi grinned in response.

"They're puppets, can't you tell? Cut their strings and they're worthless, we just need to find the creature controlling them!" explained Nikushimi.

"So you're going to cut their strings?" asked Ib. Nikushimi nodded before she took off. She ran into the mass of puppets, wilding throwing her arms. To the untrained eye they looked to be random movements; however a closer look showed she was being precise, slicing through each almost invisible string that she could see. She managed to down three puppets before they began to pull away from her and avoid her knife. The ones behind her would attack as she tried to slice at the ones in front of her.

'She needs help!' realized Garry, but he took one look at Ib, who was behind him, 'But I need to protect Ib…'

"Here, Garry, catch!" called Nikushimi and a flash of silver flew from her hand. Garry reached out and caught it, hissing in pain when it sliced into his hand. He looked in to find a knife, now covered in his blood.

"Cover my back!" ordered Nikushimi, still trying to fight with her knife. Garry looked between the knife, Nikushimi and Ib.

"Go." Ib said softly, and Garry, with only a moment's hesitation, ran forward. He and Nikushimi went back to back, each watching the puppets warily.

"Their eyes are creepy." muttered Garry.

"They are," agreed Nikushimi, "But not as creepy as their masters!" Suddenly, Nikushimi launched the knife from her hand into the bushes. A moment later a non human scream could be heard and the strings connecting the puppets vanished. A medium sized creature with bright blue eyes and yellow markings all over its body. Its body was like a small sapling, only green rather than brown.

Nikushimi ran forward again, another knife in her hands. Briefly, Garry wondered where she kept them and how many she had however he soon dismissed this thought as he watched Nikushimi plunge the knife between its eerie eyes with no hesitation.

"Garry, turn Ib away from this, it won't be pretty." Nikushimi ordered as she pulled the knife out only for her to stab the creature again in one of its eyes. Garry pulled Ib to him and made sure her eyes were covered by his hands because the creatures blood soon dribbled out. It was a gross black liquid. But soon, it showed to be dangerous. As soon as it touched Nikushimi's skin she hissed in pain and jumped back. Both she and Garry watched the acidic substance burn through her hand and the sizzling it created made Garry flinch.

"Damn thing." spat Nikushimi, pulling out her rose to watch another petal float to the ground.

"Is it bad?" asked Garry. Nikushimi moved her hand a bit and barely showed any emotion.

"It hurts like a motherfucker, but I can live with it. Let's keep moving, I'll take care of it when we decide to set up camp for the night." decided Nikushimi, stepping forward. However she only took one step before she looked down at the creature, its blue eyes watching her from its half dead position on the floor. Nikushimi's heavy boot came down on its face, crushing through it and finishing it off.

"Ib can look now, its dead. Let's keep moving." Nikushimi took off into the woods, putting her knife in her pocket. Garry pocketed his knife and put his injured hand in his pocket as he and Ib followed after Nikushimi.

They made their way through the forest with Nikushimi leading them. Nikushimi didn't look to be too happy as she was unable to do much with her injured right hand.

'It's odd without Nikushimi throwing something back and forth….' decided Garry. It was strange; Nikushimi's habit of always tossing something between her hands had at first been unnoticeable. However after they had faced the snake Garry had noticed that Nikushimi would usually throw something back and forth, such as her IPod, or a ball she pulled from her pocket. She even threw a knife back and forth for some time.

"I think here is good." Nikushimi stopped and looked around after declaring this, "The clearing isn't too big, we can hear things that try and sneak up on us, and we can make a little fire pit and have watches." They had stopped in a little clearing that had a log in the middle of it and dirt surrounding the log. Nikushimi dropped her backpack on the log and pulled out a lighter from her pocket. She pulled some sticks from the surrounding forest and dropped them in the dirt. She moved them together and lit them up with her lighter. She put away her lighter and leaned back against the log.

"This seems too easy." Garry murmured, looking around as he and Ib took their spots next to Nikushimi who was entranced in watching the fire.

"Maybe its finally some good luck?" Ib suggested quietly as she pulled her pack to into her lap. She took out a water bottle and handed it to Garry, then she put one next to Nikushimi and she took a third one for herself. She pulled out a package of crackers for each of them, once again setting it down next to Nikushimi.

Nikushimi finally stopped staring at the fire by the time Garry and Ib had finished their crackers. She blinked and suddenly turned her head.

"You guys brought food?" she asked with a raised eyebrow, then she shrugged and picked up the water bottle Ib had left next to her. She chugged it down and grinned at them, "Good idea though, thanks for sharing." Ib smiled at Nikushimi as Nikushimi devoured her crackers.

"So what else do you know about this world?" asked Garry. Nikushimi swallowed a cracker and frowned.

"Well, not too much, but I know that the forest isn't too bad. But there's going to be a fork soon, there's a small cliff, and there's a river. Both lead to the castle, however it would be easy for us to get split up. The cliff is the best way to go because we can see any creatures coming at us, so that's the route I want to take." Nikushimi explained before shoving another cracker in her mouth.

"You're really hungry." observed Ib. Nikushimi took a sip of her water to wash down her cracker before responding.

"I've been here for days, I was getting by with random shit I found in my bag and I drank water that I found. I ran out of stuff two days ago though so I was getting real hungry, didn't want to say anything though." Nikushimi replied, finishing off her crackers and putting her water bottle in her bag.

"Well, with shifts Garry, how about we do two hours each? I'm going to get some shut eye now, you take first shift, then wake me up, then I take a shift, then wake you up and repeat. Ib, you can sleep the entire night. Its good for kids to get rest, makes your brain work right or whatever." Nikushimi suggested before she stood and walked over to the edge of the clearing where she laid down. She left her back to them and she used her bag as a pillow. Garry gave Ib his bag to use as a pillow and he just watched the sky. Soon, he woke up Nikushimi and he tried to sleep, but something stopped him.

He was half asleep when he heard it. Nikushimi was…crying? Garry rolled over, carefully avoiding the ashes from their dying fire. He looked over to see Nikushimi was sitting up and facing the woods. However she would shake every so often and let out a muffled sob.

Eventually Garry started to crawl over. He didn't dislike Nikushimi truthfully. She was nice, in her own strange way. At first he hadn't really liked her, but now, he would call her an acquaintance. Or perhaps a slight friend.

"Nikushimi?" he whispered. Said girl stilled, pretending to be asleep. Garry continued to crawl towards her and stopped next to her. He shook her slightly and her dark purple eyes stared up at him.

"Mm?" she mumbled.

"Are you ok?" he asked. Nikushimi nodded and forced a grin.

"I'm fine." she answered.

"Really? You were crying a minute ago." Garry responded skeptically. Nikushimi sighed and rolled onto her back and looked up at Garry.

"I've been in this world for awhile, longer than a few days, I'm surprised I'm still alive to be honest. And… I was afraid that I was going to be stuck here forever until I died, but now that you guys are here, I have hope of getting out." admitted Nikushimi as Garry laid down next to her.

"How long were you stuck here?" inquired Garry. Nikushimi shrugged.

"I don't know, but its miraculous I'm not dead from starvation or dehydration, let's just leave it at that." Nikushimi murmured. She turned her head to look at Garry.

"So, enough of me, what's the deal with you and Ib?" questioned Nikushimi. Garry sighed.

"This isn't our first painted world…. you know the Fabricated World painting? We were pulled into that…. we both barely got out. We met there, last year, and then somehow I became Ib's babysitter. I guess life's pretty weird, huh? Maybe when we get out, somehow you'll meet us in the real world." Nikushimi closed her eyes and pulled her rose out.

"If we all get out, the Fantasy Plain does something to you, I don't know what, but my rose is dying, and when my rose dies, I die." Nikushimi muttered, slowly running her fingers over the purple petals that were slowly being devoured by the black.

"How long until it turns completely black?" asked Garry looking at the rose.

"It's been going faster and faster, I don't think it's just me that's dying. This entire place is, something's corrupting it. Slowly it's been getting darker and more dangerous here and it corresponds to the darkness on my rose. As soon as Ib gets up we should get moving."Nikushimi decided, putting her rose back in her pocket. She sighed and closed her eyes.

"You think that we're not all going to make it out." Garry stated. Nikushimi slowly nodded.

"I know it, there's no way we can all make it out, this place is dangerous. And…. my rose is dying, what's to say that when we get out it won't continue to die?" Garry watched a tear slowly come from Nikushimi's eye. She was trying to fight her tears.

"I don't cry much, barely ever. I barely show people what I'm really feeling, but now…. I feel like it's hopeless in this place truthfully. All my preaching about us getting out and being safe is a damn lie. I'm trying to hang onto the tiny shred of hope that I can escape with you and Ib, because three is better than one, yeah?" Nikushimi laughed a bit.

"We'll get out, I'll make sure that all of us get out of here, I promise." Garry pledged. Nikushimi's eyes opened.

"Why would you promise something that you have no control over? You can't stop someone from dying; you can't promise that we'll all get out of here." Nikushimi murmured numbly. Garry sat up and pulled her up so they sat facing each other.

"Then I'll try my hardest, I won't stop trying until we die." Garry replied, fire in his eyes. Nikushimi laughed, and tears began to cascade form her eyes.

"Heh, if it came down to it, you'd leave me here. If it came down to you and Ib escaping and leaving me here, you'd take it. Because I'm just some nobody you met in a dangerous place. You don't know me, and I don't know you." Nikushimi spat bitterly.

"Then we'll get to know each other, when we get out of here I'll take you and Ib and we can go to get something at a café. I know this great place." Garry decided. Nikushimi, despite her feelings, smiled.

"If that could happen, I'd like that." Then she laid back down and closed her eyes. When her breathing evened out, Garry brushed the hair from her face.

"I can't promise we'll all get out, because I know the possibility of us dying is great, but I can hope."

* * *

_**I have to try  
To break free  
From the thoughts in my mind  
Use the time that I have  
I can say goodbye  
Have to make it right  
Have to fight  
'Cause I know in the end it's worthwhile  
That the pain that I feel slowly fades away  
It will be all right  
I know  
I should realize  
Time is precious  
It is worthwhile  
Despite how I feel inside  
Have to trust it'll be alright  
Have to stand up to be stronger  
Have no strength to go on  
No more pain I'm floating away  
Through the mist I see the face  
Of an angel, calls my name  
I remember you're the reason I have to stay**_

_**Pale by Within Temptation**_

* * *

**AN**

**I'm trying to wrap up this story as soon as possible, possibly by the end of my break if I have to. I want to get new things started so I have to wrap the things that I can't focus on up.**


	4. Faded to Black

_**Fading Black**_

_Chapter 4_

_Faded to Black_

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Talking"

'Thinking'

**Inner Voice**

_Flashback/dream_

_**Poem/Song/Quote**_

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

* * *

"_My heart hurts…"_

"_It won't stop.."_

"_Why does no one like me?"_

**You aren't worth it.**

"_Will anyone ever care to not leave me behind?"_

**You will always be behind, you were never with anyone.**

* * *

When both Nikushimi and Ib woke up in the morning, Nikushimi was bitter about the fact that Garry had taken all the shifts, they set off again though. Ib was chatting with Nikushimi, opening up to the girl after deeming her a friend.

"So you're in high school, right? What grade are you in?" asked Ib curiously as they walked along.

"Eleventh." replied Nikushimi.

"So am I." Garry grinned at her.

"I should be in tenth actually, but I skipped a grade." Nikushimi added, sounding proud of herself.

"Why'd you skip?" questioned Garry.

"I was too smart for my grade." answered Nikushimi when she stopped, "This looks dangerous." Before them was a large cliff that held a path to the castle, however the crumbling path was skinny, and if you fell you were falling into a raging river that also led to the castle.

"I thought you said there was a fork…." trailed Garry.

"Well, we could try our luck and jump in the river, or we could risk this cliff, but if it crumbles we're falling into the water since the cliff wall is too steep to risk climbing." explained Nikushimi.

"I think we should go along the cliff edge, then if we fall we'll still land in the water instead of originally going into the water that could potentially kill us." suggested Ib. Nikushimi nodded.

"I agree with Ib, her explanation makes sense." decided Nikushimi, walking towards the cliff, "But let's make a decision here, if someone falls off the other two have to continue on, no waiting up for the one who fell. The one who falls will try and meet with them at the castle."

"Agreed." Garry and Nikushimi nodded at each other and Nikushimi hugged the side of the cliff as she shuffled along. They didn't speak as they went along the cliff, they couldn't risk their concentration. Although Garry was quite worried, the cliff would sometimes crumble under their weight and they would barely keep themselves from falling.

"We're almost there, look it evens out up there." said Nikushimi as she looked ahead. It was true, the cliff wall was lowering and soon they would be on a flat plain rather than the small edge of a cliff. Nikushimi began shuffling faster, which was a big mistake.

"Oh shit!" Nikushimi grabbed for the wall however it was too late. The cliff beneath her feet crumbled and she fell back. Garry and Ib watched in shock as Nikushimi began to fall towards the raging water. Nikushimi quickly grabbed something in her pocket and threw it up towards Garry, who managed to catch it. Then Nikushimi hit the water and disappeared beneath the wave.

"Nikushimi!" yelled Garry, getting over his shock. His eyes searched the water but Nikushimi was nowhere to be found.

"We have to keep moving, it's starting to rain!" gasped Ib. They hurried along and as soon as they made it from the cliff the small edge they had used to walk was weathered away by the rain.

"Let's keep going, Ib, the castle is just over there." said Garry, grasping Ib's hand and pulling her along.

They made it to the castle when it was once again dark, only this time the dark was very foreboding. A dark substance, the same dark substance that burned Nikushimi from the creature was oozing from various cracks everywhere. When they reached the castle, it oozed from the walls and ceiling too.

"Where do we go now?" asked Ib as they looked around the courtyard. A large arc was over to the side, roses grew around in various shades of blue, red, yellow and purple. A white rose that was turning black was at the top.

"This is very bad….. without Nikushimi we don't know what we're looking for…" trailed Garry as he led Ib along the cobblestone path and into the castle. Inside the castle dark shadows seemed to be everywhere. A long staircase led up from the entrance hall.

"Where's the throne room? I bet that's where our roses would be." decided Garry.

"Maybe up those stairs?" suggested Ib. Garry led Ib up the stairs and found two more doors. Empty armors guarded the doors…. or at least Garry thought they were empty until writing was etched into the wall, the same writing that had been on their note.

"One door leads to the throne room that holds the treasure, the other leads to the darkness that will engulf you; you can ask one guardian a question, only one. That guardian will answer it, one guardian tells the truth while the other will lie. Choose your door wisely, and use your question wisely for you only get one." Garry read as the words were written.

"What do we do?" asked Ib softly. Garry looked between the doors and shook his head.

"I don't know." he replied, "How do we know which one is lying and which one is telling the truth?" Garry looked down at the object in his other hand, the object Nikushimi had thrown at him.

'Her IPod….' Garry unlocked it and found the notes open.

"What would the other guardian say if I asked 'Which door is the right one?'" read Garry aloud, he and Ib shared a look and then, he repeated it louder to the guardian closest to him. Blue-purple eyes peered out from the darkness of the helmet and slowly it lifted its lance and pointed to the door opposite of it.

"But if he's the lying one…." trailed Ib, Garry looked down at Nikushimi's IPod and exited the note app to find her background was a picture of another note that said 'Opposites Attract'.

"This door." announced Garry, looking at the one by the pointing armor.

"Are you sure?" inquired Ib. Garry shook his head.

"From Nikushimi's clues, we do the opposite of what the armor says." replied Garry, opening the door. He and Ib entered the darkness and the door swung shut behind them and everything lit up. The room had no windows, but it held a throne at the end and a dark blue rug ran from the throne to where they stood. Halfway across the room a familiar figure stood.

"Nikushimi!" cried Ib, running to her. Nikushimi turned and gave them a small smile.

"Good job…. you trusted my clues…" she trailed, a short clapping however cut them off and they all looked forward to the throne where a figure sat in the darkness.

"Good job, you managed to do it, failure." Nikushimi flinched, "Are you proud of yourself now?"

"Nikushimi?" asked Ib, Garry pulled her back.

"You were right to be wary of her." the figure said, its eyes opening to show blazing blue eyes that glowed. The various blue eyes of the creatures passed through Garry's mind and he watched as the creature began to get up, "You two are too trusting…. Garry….Ib."

"Garry…." Ib looked scared and as the figure came into view, Ib gasped and Garry's fists tightened.

Her hair was burned at the tips, her dress black, her skin had burn scars all over it and her grin was twisted. She no longer looked human, now she looked like a monster.

"Mary…." whispered Garry. However Mary's attention was on Nikushimi.

"Are you proud, Nikushimi? I bet you are, awww, what's that look for? You wanted to get out…. to end the curse set on you." cooed Mary, the shadows moved and Nikushimi was thrown forward. She stood up slowly as Mary stalked up to her.

"I never said I would be proud." spat Nikushimi, not looking up. From her pocket her rose fell, most of the petals were all black. Only a little was still purple.

"Oh? What's this?" Mary held up Nikushimi's rose. Mary laughed a moment later.

"You're still dying, aren't you? Along with this damned place, you're connected. Your curse connects you to this place, bringing them here…. it was useless! In the end, when this place floods with the black blood, you'll still die. You brought two people down with you, for nothing." Nikushimi looked up, her mouth set in a scowl.

"You lied to me…. you said I could get out of here….. but now…. I have nothing to lose if I'm just going to suffer here anyway…." Nikushimi stood and continued to step backwards until she stood in front of Garry and Ib who watched her warily, "I won't make it out of here either way, so I'll take you down with me!" Nikushimi ran forward, pulling her switchblade from her pocket. Mary laughed and moved her arm to the side, the shadows followed her move and Nikushimi was thrown across the room. A sickening crack came from Nikushimi as she hit the wall harshly. She fell to the floor with an audible thud where she didn't move. Mary threw Nikushimi's rose to the ground as the petals began to fall off. Mary walked away from it as the fifth petal fell from its six.

"You two are going to get to die with her, I'll be free from this place, from being a painting, and you both get to stay here while this place floods!" laughed Mary, pointing at them with a crazed grin as she advanced, "When the black blood falls through here and the rose arc opens up the portal to the real world, I'll be able to escape because the price was paid, with change! Three lives, well two lives are here, while one escapes. It's perfect!"

"Nikushimi…. she was the one who did all that?" Ib asked Garry quietly.

"Nikushimi did everything; all I had to do was tell her that after months of being here, she could escape if she brought me the two who escaped here. Of course, I had to have my fun, so I opened the portal above the forest after she sent her shadow to push you in. She was the one who wrote the letter, the one who led you here. Wasn't it at all suspicious how she knew how to get here, how she knew the weaknesses of the monsters? How she knew why you guys were here?" Mary laughed, "And all the while I had my fun. I got to watch you all through the eyes of my creatures."

"You were the serpent, the puppet master." realized Garry.

"Not only those, but I got to watch through other creatures that didn't approach you! Nikushimi tried using her dull abilities to keep me away, so she could fulfill her mission, but she was so pitiful that all she could do was try and kill me with her dull blades." Mary grinned, "She's always been a failure. She can't escape the nightmares of her past, she never had any friends, her family didn't love her, and her personality disorder was horrible to her. She always had that other voice, telling her she was worthless, but the entire time it wasn't her inner voices talking to her, it was the curse that drew her in to this place. I wasn't the one who originally drew her in; it was the previous dweller who swapped with Nikushimi once Nikushimi was pulled in!"

"And now, I'm swapping with the dweller." Everyone was surprised when Nikushimi, her neck at a strange angle, came up behind Mary and with a clean slice from her blade she slashed Mary's throat. Then, she violently tore at Mary's throat until Mary's head wasn't attached any longer. All the while, black blood oozed from her, burning Nikushimi's hands. When Mary's head and body hit the floor, the ground began to shake. The ceiling by the throne collapsed and Nikushimi ran forward towards where Garry and Ib were. As the ceiling fell in one solid piece towards Ib and Garry, Garry sheltered Ib, braced for it. but it never came.

"Nikushimi." realized Garry, looking to see the girl hunched over from the weight of the stone she was holding up. Black ooze was falling around them, pouring from the ceiling into the disappearing floor.

"Get out of here, get through the rose arc." Nikushimi ordered them.

"What about you?" asked Garry. Nikushimi grinned at them.

"Heh, take my rose, maybe I'll live. Probably not, but who knows?" Garry picked up the rose by their feet and watched Ib leap over the gap between them and the open door.

"Go!" yelled Nikushimi as there was more rumbling. Garry ran forward and jumped over the gap. He grabbed Ib and continued on, not looking back.

"Heh, a fate I deserve." murmured Nikushimi as tears slipped from her eyes. And then, the ceiling broke and the black blood poured onto her.

As Garry and Ib prepared to jump through the arc, all they heard was Nikushimi's scream. And only Garry understood what she was saying.

"Don't leave me alone!"

But he jumped through the arc with Ib, and he didn't look back as the world was flooded by black blood.

Back in the real world, the museum was on fire, the cause of the black blood. Garry grabbed Ib and pulled her from the burning hallway, only taking one look at the charred painting. They ran out of the building into the crowd of people who had gathered outside when the building caught on fire. They stopped and turned to watch, but Garry looked at the rose he held from Nikushimi.

The lone petal no longer held any purple in it. The purple had faded completely leaving only black. And then, the last petal drifted from its place into Garry's palm. He clenched his fist and pocketed them, in his pocket he found Nikushimi's IPod still there.

As the firefighters arrived he and Ib left. When they got back to the house, sitting on Ib's table were two roses. One red, and one blue. And with them, was a note.

'Roses are red,

Roses are blue,

The Fantasy Plain is drowning,

But it is alright for,

Nothing is burning.'

Garry didn't understand the poem, neither did Ib. But he knew that the color purple would now haunt him. Always reminding him of her purple eyes, and he knew that he would always be haunted by her. Her last scream.

And her purple rose that slowly faded to black.

* * *

_**Say goodnight,  
Don't be afraid,  
Calling me, Calling me as you fade to black  
I've been believing in something so distant  
As if I was human  
And I've been denying this feeling of hopelessness  
All the promises I made  
Just to let you down  
You believed in me, but I'm broken  
As much as I'd like the past not to exist  
It still does  
And as much as I'd like to feel like I belong here  
I'm just as scared as you  
I have nothing left  
One day we won't feel this pain anymore  
Take it all away  
Shadows of you  
Cause they won't let me go  
Until I have nothing left  
And all I feel is this cruel wanting  
We've been falling for all this time  
And now I'm lost in paradise  
Alone, and lost in paradise**_

_**My Last Breath and Lost In Paradise by Evanescence**_

* * *

**AN**

**I have an idea for an epilogue, but I may not post it. I'm trying to decide if I want to or not.**

**Sayonara!**


End file.
